FORD kicked Toyota off the top-selling chart last month as its Ranger 4WD ute became the nation’s top-selling vehicle in September, finding 466 more buyers that the HiLux 4WD.

Toyota’s key ute model couldn’t keep pace with the Ranger as keen Ford deals nibbled at the HiLux – previously the country’s top-selling vehicle – and chopped sales by 465 units over its August highs.

The Ranger 4WD’s role in the Ford line-up can’t be underestimated. It is responsible for a whopping 53.9 per cent of Ford’s total sales while, in comparison, the HiLux 4WD is only 21.6 per cent of Toyota’s total sales.

Other highlights of the September market included its 2.4 per cent fall over the same month last year, though the shortfall was cushioned by the year-to-date figures that show that 2017 is 0.2 per cent above the same period in 2016.

Toyota sales lifted 1.0 per cent in September, putting it (again) on top with a dominant 17.3 per cent share, followed by Mazda (10.3 per cent), Hyundai (8.1 per cent), Mitsubishi (7.1 per cent) and Holden (6.9 per cent). Ford has 6.8 per cent.

Best improvers were Kia, Subaru, Toyota and Mitsubishi – the latter’s Outlander taking rocket of the year award for its 80.6 per cent increases in sales in September compared with the same month in 2016, while in the same SUV category, Mazda’s sweetheart CX-5 slipped 28.2 per cent despite a model refresh.

By Neil Dowling